


(So Tell Me, Darling) Do You Wish We'd Fall In Love?

by WriterRose



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Eventual Romance, I'll update the tags as I go, M/M, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, and like the whole point of this fic, basically bc of kagami's potty mouth, kagakuro is end game, ocs are members of kagami's family made up for this story, rated teen for canon-compliant curses/language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-04-27 03:36:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14416839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterRose/pseuds/WriterRose
Summary: Kagami travels to America over school break to attend his stepsister’s wedding. When he learns his friend will be spending the break alone, Kagami invites Kuroko along with him.(KagaKuro. Post-Winter Cup, Pre-Extra/Last Game.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just me exploring my headcanons about Kagami’s family and some gross fluff follows. Further explanations at end of chapter.
> 
> Titles comes from the song "The Saltwater Room" by Owl City
> 
> “**Speech.**” indicates spoken in English

Kuroko was having a hard time figuring out why he agreed to this. Perhaps it was the sincere hurt look Kagami had when Kuroko informed him that he would be spending the spring break before the new school year alone? His parents were off on their own separate business trips, which was nothing new really. However he usually had his grandmother to at least keep him company, but she was off visiting some old friends at an onsen. She may be 75, but she has quite the young spirit, that one. Just last year, she convinced the rest of the family to take a trip and hike around the creator of Mt. Fuji. She outpaced him and his father, to say the least.

When Kagami told him that he’d be going back to America for two weeks during their month long break to attend his stepsister’s wedding, Kuroko was surprised for two reasons. One, Kuroko didn’t know Kagami had any siblings, aside from Himuro-san, who was more like a surrogate big brother. The second reason he was surprised was because he felt a strange ache in his chest. It was one he hadn’t felt in quite a long time and he always hated it, because it made him feel stupid and childish. 

Kuroko felt….abandoned. And though he knew Kagami would be coming back - it was only a month after all - he realized that it’d be the longest him and Kagami have been separated since knowing each other. Just the fact that Kuroko had such a strong reaction to this thought made the bluenette blush in shame (and maybe a bit in embarrassment). He’s spent countless vacations alone in the past, so why was the thought of spending just one without Kagami so painful? 

Since winning the Winter Cup, Kuroko has had all his past friends return to him. His former Teiko members, Shige-kun, they were all back in his life and Kuroko just couldn’t believe how quickly his life had turned around. Between that final year at Teiko and the end of the Winter Cup, Kuroko had become accustomed to spending most days and nights alone, even holidays. But now, there was never a chance for him to be alone anymore. He had Nigou and Seirin and the rest of the Generation of Miracles, so why did he care if he was separated from Kagami for just a month?

Perhaps, it was because Kagami was the one who helped to accomplish all that? Kuroko knows he’s always been weak compared to everyone around him. Never in his wildest dreams would he have been able to bring his friends back together and help them become the people they used to be all on his own. Without Kagami and the rest of Seirin, Kuroko would never have been able to bring them back together. Kagami may not know it, and Kuroko may never be able to express it, but he owes Kagami everything. His friendships, his happiness, his ability to smile freely once more...

Yes, his life was quite dark before his new Light came into it.

Maybe that was why it was so easy to agree to Kagami’s offer to spend the vacation together? Just how far was he willing to go to keep Kagami around? America, it seemed. Kuroko was now off to a strange and foreign land he’s only ever visited in books and seen on TV. And all because of...

“Kagami-kun?” he asked, breaking the silence that had been going on between the two of them. However for them, it was never awkward, but always completely natural, campaignable even. Both knew they could resume or end conversations at any time.

“Mm?” Kagami hummed. The redhead’s eyes were closed, head tilted back and resting in a neck pillow.

They were about 5 hours into their flight. About halfway there. Kuroko supposed it was a good a time as any to bring up this subject. “I was wondering if you would tell me the specifics?”

Kagami’s eyes finally opened, a bit bloodshot from having had been awake since an early hour. “What’dya mean?” he slurred, sounding rather groggy. 

“I mean about your family and the details about the wedding. This trip was rather rushed after all.” Kuroko said as he closed the light novel he had been reading. Well, he hadn’t actually been reading it for quite some time now, what with his getting lost in thought.

Kagami gave him a questioning look, then closed his eyes once again and seemed to resituate himself in his seat. “What for?”

Kuroko quickly slapped the redheads thigh with his book, earning a surprised yelp from Kagami which in turned caused for the other passengers - who were trying to catch some sleep at such an early hour - to give him dirty looks. “Because I’m going to be attending a family gathering. It would be considered very rude to go and not know anything about said family.” Kuroko simply informed.

“Oh.” Kagami said rather dumbly. He still seemed a little crossed at the public display of embarrassment, but considered Kuroko’s request to be pretty valid. “What do you want to know?” he asked, sitting up and now giving his Shadow his full attention.

“Some information about your family?” he requested. “Since you’ve regretted to inform me that you even had a stepsister, it’s caused me to wonder what else Kagami-kun has neglected to tell me.”

“I don’t think I like your tone…” Kagami said, growing a little unnerved at the glare Kuroko was sending his way. To anyone else though, the boy would look to be staring blankly at him. “But, whatever. I suppose it’s only fair...

“My parents split up when I was in elementary school. They had joint custody over me, so I’d always switch between staying with my dad and staying with my mom. When I was about eight, my mom met an American guy and they got married. He also had a kid from a previous marriage, so I got a stepsister, she was already in her third year of middle school, so we didn’t really talk much. Then in my last year of elementary school, my mom learned she was pregnant. She and her new husband decided it’d be best to raise the kid in America, considering they were gonna be mixed race and all.”

“You have a half sibling?” Kuroko asked, sounding rather intrigued. Ah, that was right. Kagami forgot about Kuroko and his love for childcare…

“Ah, yeah. Two actually. Turned out to be twins.” he informed.

Kuroko’s eyes seemed sparkle at this, throwing Kagami off a little. “That’s amazing.” he sounded a little awed, for some reason.

Kagami huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess it was. I wanted to give my mom and her husband some time to adjust, so I didn’t go to live with them until my second year of middle school. My dad thought it was a good idea too. Said something like it’d be a good chance to spread my wings in a different country or something like that.” he finished.

“What’re your family members’ names?” the bluenette asked, looking as if he was soaking up every detail. 

“Ah, my mom’s name is Katsumi, she mostly has people call her Kat in America, since people usually mispronounce it like that. My stepdad’s name is James. He’ll probably insist on you calling him Jim, even does that to me. They have two kids—my half siblings—Jun, he’s the boy and Hana is the girl. They’re both 6. My stepsister is Brianna. Her fiancé's name is Drew. They’ve been together since they were in their second year of high school.”

“That’s very romantic.” Kuroko said in such a serious and flat tone that Kagami couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from deep in his belly. 

“I guess!” he said breathlessly, wiping tears from his eyes. Kuroko was squinting at him, which was Kuroko for death-glare which meant that was Kagami’s cue to stop laughing, unless he wanted an Ignite Pass to the stomach. He promptly stopped and Kuroko’s stare evened. He then sat back in his chair, an anxious look on his face as he stared at the seatback in front of him.

“I’m quite nervous. Kagami-kun has a lot of people who care about him.” Light blue eyes then looked up to Kagami. “Are you sure it’s really alright that I’m coming to this event?”

Kuroko looked so genuinely unsure that Kagami was caught off guard again. It wasn’t often he saw this expression on his friend’s face. Least of all outside of a basketball game. “Don’t be stupid!” he grinned, giving the younger boy a slap on the shoulder, who flinched at the rough contact. “They’ll love you! Besides, my mom and Jim have been dying to meet you.”

Kuroko’s eyes widened slightly at this. It was only three days ago that Kagami asked him to come on this hasty trip. Which means...“You’ve talked to them about me before?” he asked, sounding surprised. 

“Of course!” Kagami responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Jim’s a big basketball fan, he eats up all the stuff I tell him about our games. And my mom says I have _‘trouble making friends’_ ” he emphasized with air quotes. “So of course I talk to her about my best friend. Who I made in less than a year, thank you.” he finished rather smugly with a cross of his arms.

An uncharacteristic blush came to Kuroko’s face. “Kagami-kun sure can say some embarrassing things…” he trailed off, looking at the aisle across from them, a small smile gracing his face.

“H-Hey, that’s my line!”

*******

After landing at the airport and grabbing their things from baggage claim, the boys made their way out of the terminal and out into the sunny streets of mid-day LA. Kagami gave a loud groan once more, lifting his leg up behind himself and grabbing his ankle, performing a stretch. 

“Finally,” he croaked out, giving a deep sigh. “My legs are killing me from being cramped up for so long…” 

“That's right. Kagami-kun’s 6’3’’. It must be a hassle being so freakishly tall.” Kuroko deadpanned as he picked up the redhead’s shoulder bag, which fell to the ground during his stretching.

“Excuse me?” Kagami asked annoyed. “Listen here, you pipsqueak–”

“I'm average height for our nationality, let alone our age group. It’s Kagami-kun who’s bizarre.”

The redhead scowled, bending down and grabbing the handle to his suitcase, which also fell over due to his lack of attention. “Who’re you calling bizarre, you–” Kagami started to rebuttal, but cut himself off. After he straightened out once again he realized that his friend had disappeared. “K-Kuroko?” he asked the air, sounding alarmed. They haven't even been in America for five minutes and Kagami already lost the damn guy! “Kuroko?” he asked again, a little more anxious sounding, searching through the crowd for a single sign of his friend. There's no telling where he went. Then a dark thought crossed Kagami’s mind. 

What if something bad happened to him? Kuroko’s a foreigner in a strange land, with a language he barely has a grasp on. There's no telling what would happen to him on his own. Even Kagami had to admit, Americans are crazy! There are some especially crazy ones too...There's no telling what heinous things they'd do to the frail boy...he’s seen SVU! (And though Kuroko would argue he’s anything but frail, to Kagami, and pretty everyone else they know, he might as well be a china doll).

“Kuroko!” he shouted now, looking around frantically.

“I'm right here, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko’s soft voice finally responded. Kagami quickly spun around to face the other, who looked to be in a bit of disarray. His hair looked like someone ran their hands through it multiple times (Kagami scowls at this, for some odd reason) and his clothing looked slightly disheveled. 

“Don't just disappear like that!” the redhead shouted, placing both his hands on the smaller boy’s shoulders. “Where did you go?” Kagami took a quick glance at the rest of the other boy. “And what happened to your clothes?” he asked.

Kuroko simply brushed his hands away. “Your grip is too crushing, Kagami-kun. And I'm sorry. I was pushed back by the crowd. I didn't mean to cause you any fright.” the bluenette apologized earnestly, startling the taller.

“Er, it's okay…” he trailed off, taking a small step back from the other, but still staying close. “But I think it'd be best if we stick together.” Kagami bent down once again, picking up Kuroko's bags, which must've been knocked down when the he was pushed away. He suddenly held up the strap of his own shoulder bag to Kuroko. His head was turned away, but Kagami could feel Kuroko giving him a questioning look. “The airports here are always crowded so it's easy to get lost for regular people, let alone you.”

Kuroko gave him a slightly amused look before he grabbed onto the taller boy's strap. “I see. But despite what you may think, I'm not a child, Kagami-kun. I do not need you holding my hand.”

“I'm not holding your hand!” Kagami snapped as he started to lead the other boy down the street and to the ATM to convert their yen to dollars. Kagami handled all the instructions and ended up converting Kuroko’s money with his, splitting it. “Here. We don't really have that much to begin with, so why don't we just take the bus? I still got a few tokens from the last time I visited we can use.” he suggested, already leading the way to one of the corner bus stops. 

“Alright.” Kuroko readily agreed. He'd probably be doing a lot of agreeing on this trip. After all, Kagami was the expert here. 

“We can always put our bags in the overhead. It's a nice bus.” Kagami informed, glancing over at the other. “I just noticed this, but you packed kinda light, huh?”

“I am an efficient packer, Kagami-kun. It's you who has packed very lightly.” the bluenette responded, eyeing the measly shoulder bag and one small duffle bag. 

“I already have stuff at the house, genius.” Kagami said irritatedly. 

A few more minutes of arguing and their bus finally arrived. Kagami informed Kuroko that it'd take them about 30 minutes to arrive at the stop closest to Kagami’s house. The two high schoolers made themselves comfortable and prepared for the short trip. Unlike on the plane, Kuroko now sat by the window, staring out with a look of awe.

Kagami noticed this and gave a smirk. “Enjoying the view?”

Kuroko didn't turn his head from the window but gave a curt nod, which is Kuroko for nodding your head up and down enthusiastically. “LA has some very impressive scenery.” he said in that monotone way of his.

“You should see the wedding venue, then. Upstate Cali is something else entirely.” he smirked, enjoying the clear happiness of his best friend. 

“I'm looking forward to seeing everything with Kagami-kun.” Kuroko stated, now turning his head. The clear look of enjoyment on the smaller’s face threw Kagami for a spin. “I'm very happy that I was able to take this trip with you.”

“M-Me too.” Kagami stuttered out, trying to catch his breath which stopped short out of the blue. “I'm glad I didn't have to make the trip alone again, since my dad’s got a meeting.”

“I think it's very nice how your mother and father still have a good relationship like that.” Kuroko said sincerely. 

Kagami hummed. “Yeah, they’re still pretty close. They were best friends before they were a couple after all. They talked to me about it when they were first splitting up. Said they didn't really work as a couple or something. Better off as friends.” Kagami looked out the window, then down to his friend. “Doesn't really bug me. Never really has.” he gave a bright smile at his friend when he saw the sad look on his face. “Really, it doesn't. We’re still really close. Still a family.” Kagami laughed, giving Kuroko’s hair a ruffle. “Just not in the traditional sense I guess.”

“I see…” Kuroko responded aloofly. 

“My dad can't make the actual wedding, but he's gonna be coming for the family celebration after.” 

Kuroko looked a little confused at this. “Family celebration?” he questioned.

“Oh, yeah. All the close family members and friends are gonna be staying at the venue for a couple of days after the ceremony. The bride and groom will be off on their honeymoon a day into it, though.”

Kuroko was quiet for a few moments until he spoke once more. “Are you sure it's alright for me to be there then? If it's only close family and friends?”

Kagami was taken aback. “What's with all this uncertainty? It's kinda out of character.” he ruffled Kuroko’s hair once more, much to the other’s annoyance. He took a moment and waited for the bus to pull to the next stop before continuing again. “I told you already, it's fine. You're my best friend after all. That's your close relationship to the family.” 

Kagami was right about one thing; Kuroko certainly was acting out of character. Why was he so uncertain? Then, Kuroko had a realization. It was the fact that he was Kagami’s best friend and vice-versa. But Kuroko and his best friends never seemed to last very long. First it was Shige – or rather, Ogiwara-kun. The friendship he had formed with Ogiwara was the closest relationship he had formed outside of family, but they grew apart and stopped communicating all together, until just this last winter. Then there was Aomine-kun, who was on his way to becoming...Well, certainly not Ogiwara’s replacement but he came very close to forming a relationship much like the childhood friends used to have. Maybe even more. But then that fell through once again. Maybe Kuroko just wasn't meant to be close to someone for very long? 

That's why there was always that lingering fear. The fear that Kagami, much like Ogiwara and Aomine, would soon outgrow him. The fear that their close friendship won't last, that it can't last.

“**Taiga?**” asked an unfamiliar voice, with a surprised tone of excitement.

The attentions of both boys were pulled after the call, looking up. Down the aisle stood a young teen, around their age. He had dark skin, reminding Kuroko of Aomine’s, but this boy’s was a few tones darker. He also clearly wasn't of Asian decent, for he had wide, deep chocolate colored brown eyes. 

After figuring out just who the person was, Kagami beamed at him and bellowed a similar call, startling the boy next to him. “**Dre!**” 

The boy made his way from the front of the bus, where he scanned his pass, and made his way down the aisle,.

“**Geez, man. How’re ya?**” he asked in English, holding his hand out. Kagami answered with holding out his own and slapping it against the other’s outstretched hand, performing a sort of strange handshake. “**I haven't seen or heard from you since January.**”

Kagami gave a sheepish laugh. “**Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been kinda crazy ever since I went back to Japan.**” he replied back in English. Kuroko didn't think he’d have to start translating so soon into the trip. 

“**Well, way to go. I had to find out you were coming back from _my sister._ **” Dre gave the bigger teen a playful punch on the shoulder. “**You know how much of a know-it-all she can be. You should have heard her _‘well, Bri told me Taiga’s coming back home. It's so strange that you don't know when your friend is visiting.’_ **” he mocked in a high-pitched tone mocking his...sister? Yes, that was what that word meant; sister. 

Kagami laughed once again. “**Sorry, man. This trip was kinda last minute. I never got the invite in the mail and then my parents tried emailing me and it didn't really work out cause I never check my email…**” he trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Dre huffed. “**Of course. You were too busy playing basketball, weren't you?**” 

“**I guess you could say that.**”

“**Hey kid, take a seat already!” called a voice from the front of the bus, the driver.

“**Sorry!**” Dre called back and starting giving a shove to Kagami. “**Taiga, scoot over before I get my ass handed to me again. This driver’s got it out for me.**”

Kuroko felt himself being squished between the window and Kagami. His eyes widened. Was this it? Was this how he died? Crushed by a basketball freak on a bus in America?

“**Cut it out, man! There's an empty seat right in front of you. Someone’s sitting here already.**” Kagami pushed the other teen back, towards the empty seats in front of them. 

Dre made a _‘tsk’_ sound and narrowed his eyes at the redhead. “**What’re you playing at? There’s no one he–**” the boy cut himself off when he finally noticed the other teen sitting next to Kagami.

“** _Domo._ **”. Kuroko simply greeted. 

Dre gave a startled yelp and then fell into his seat. After a moment, he popped back up and stared at the bluenette in utter shock. “**W-What the–**”

“Idiot, that was Japanese.” Kagami reprimed the other boy in their native language. 

“Sorry. They both sound the same to me.” he responded blankly, meaning _‘domo’_ and _‘hello’_ , Kagami guessed. 

“**Hello.**” he tried again, turning to the other boy sitting in front of them. His ‘l’s still sounded a little too much like ‘r’s. Something they'll have to work on. 

“**Hi…**” the American trailed of, staring at the smaller teen with a look of bewilderment. 

Kuroko was trying to find the right phrase and pronunciation for what he was going to say next, but then recalled what Kiyoshi-senpai said when they first met Himuro-san. He knew the phrasing and had no trouble translating when it came to writing and reading English, but pronunciation was always difficult for him...

“**Kagami’s friend.**” he informed with a polite nod. The boy identified as Dre blinked at the other teen for a few seconds and let out a sound that Kuroko wasn't really sure of the meaning. He heard a suppressed huff and then turned to the larger teen sitting next to him. 

“Your English is pretty shitty, huh?” Kagami more so stated than asked, a smug looking grin on his face.

“Kagami-kun’s grades in both English and Japanese are pretty horrid too. What’s your reason?” the boy deadpanned.

“Hey!”

“**Uh, Taiga. Who’s the ghost kid?**” the dark skinned boy asked, shooting a look at said ghost kid. 

“**Ah, Dre this is Ku-**” Kagami paused for a moment as he mentally corrected himself. “**This is Tetsuya Kuroko. He’s a friend of mine from Japan. We play basketball together.**” Dre raised an eyebrow at this. Kagami gave a humorful huff. “**He’s stronger than he looks.**” he gave the bluenette yet another hair ruffle, which seemed to be the last straw as a boney elbow discreetly rammed into Kagami’s side. The redhead spluttered, scooting away from the smaller. He rubbed at his side, trying to ease the pain he felt in his ribs. “**K-Kuroko, this is Andre. We played streetball together.**” Kuroko gave him a look. Crap, he said that in English didn't he?

“** _Street-o-ball?_ **” the bluenette repeated with a heavy accent. Or he might've just been saying it in Japanese, since most basketball terminology doesn't really translate too well.

“**Yeah, that’s what he said...**” Dre trailed off.

“**Kuroko’s not good at English.**” Kagami informed. 

The surprised look finally left Andre’s face as he finally seemed to get over his shock. He gave an understanding nod and smiled. “**I get it. No problem.**” with this, the American fully turned his gaze away from his old friend and over to the newcomer. “**It’s nice to meet you, Kuroko. First time in LA?**”

Kuroko blinked, taking a moment to work out his response. “**Yes. Thank you. First time America.**” he fumbled out, taking careful time to formulate his response. “**Nice to meet you.**” was said pretty perfectly. It’s one of the first things you learn in English after all. 

Kagami looked over to his friend and was surprised to see an uncharacteristic look on Kuroko’s face. Was he...embarrassed? That was certainly new. It just dawned on Kagami that he’s never heard Kuroko speak English before, either. The bastard was never called on to read aloud during class...

Breaking away from his thoughts, the redhead gave a small smile and nudged the teen next to him with his shoulder gently, bringing the blue eyes back up from the floor. “I take it back, your English is actually pretty okay. You’re fine at understanding and forming sentences, ya just gotta work on the pronunciation. It's a hard language, don't sweat it.” 

Kuroko felt the carefully constructed wall known as his composure give a shudder, as if taking a physical hit, but as usual it stayed in place. “Thank you…” he finally answered. 

“**You guys here for the wedding?**” Andre questioned, eyeing the boys.

Kuroko gave a nod and Kagami smiled, replying with “**Yeah, you going too?**”

“**You know how close our sisters have always been. C’mon, Taiga, we’re like a second family! Er, scratch that. Second second family.**” the boy grinned goofily. “**I heard Alex and Tatsuya are coming too. I’m actually surprised they’re not with you.**”

“**She’ll be here. She’s going on one more grand-tour of Japan before she finally leaves it behind. And Tatsuya’s school isn’t on break yet, something about missing one too many school days ‘cause of snow....He’ll be around later.**” he informed.

“**Ahh.Yeah, that sounds like something she would do...**” he breathed out in understanding. “**Bummer about Tats, but, well, since you guys are here a few days early you should totally stop by the court and play a game sometime! All the guys have been dying to take ya on again, Taiga.**” Dre’s eyes then fell onto to Kuroko. “**You play too, right Kuroko? You should totally join in.**”

Upon hearing his name, Kuroko perked up a bit, but it was barely a twitch to the untrained eye. He seemed unsure of what to say. Kagami took a guess as to what was happening.

“He invited you to play basketball sometime while we’re here.” Kagami translated into Japanese. 

Kuroko blinked, as if absorbing the information. “**Ah. Yes, please.**” he replied, concealed excitement at the idea slipping through just enough that Kagami could see past that deadpan response.

“**Awesome! I’ve learned from Taiga that Japanese basketball is actually pretty awesome. I’d love to see some of your moves.**” 

Kuroko frowned slightly. Those were too many words, much too fast. He turned to Kagami, expectant.

The larger teen seemed to understand what his stare meant, as per usual, and responded. “He says I’m awesome so you must be too, by association.” Kagami helpfully translated. Kuroko rolled his eyes. He doubted that was a word-for-word translation, but he understood the gist of it.

“Tell Andre-kun I’d very much like to play with him as well. I’m dying to see American streetball.”

Kagami jerked in surprise. “Wow, you really are! What a weird expression you’re pull-ACK!” Annnnd that makes two jabs to the side. And that’s not counting the smacks he received throughout the plane ride either. Kagami was returning home bruised, it seemed. Serves him right.

Dre looked at the two mildly curious and, if Kagami’s vision wasn’t too distorted by the tears of pain, a little humored too. He raised his eyebrow, smirk evident. He was waiting for a response.

“**H-He said he’s excited to play you too.**” Kagami gasped out.

Dre laughed. “**Really? ‘Cause he doesn’t look it…**”

“**Trust me. This is his happy face. He jabbed me because I made fun of him for it…” he grumbled, rubbing his side.

Dre broke into a full blown laugh. “**Well, it’s nice to finally meet one of Taiga’s friends from Japan.” Suddenly a strange expression came across the dark teen’s face, as if he realized something, and he stopped himself. “**Wait. When you say you play basketball together, you mean he’s your teammate? Then does that mean...Taiga is this that phantom partner of yours?**”

Pain subsided, Kagami smiled back, an almost smug look upon his face. “**He sure is!**” he exclaimed with a hard slap to Kuroko’s back. Said teen was a little confused as to what was being spoken of exactly, but he didn’t appreciate the roughhousing, nonetheless.

“Kagami-kun is really asking for it today, isn’t he?” Kuroko spoke darkly. Pulling his arm back, Kuroko saw the look of horror form on Kagami’s face as he readied himself for an Ignite Pass. He’d hate to make such a rude and violent impression upon Andre-kun but some things can’t be helped.

“**Then that means, he’s the sixth man! From the what’dya-call-it? The Kiseh-key Sed-eye!**”

Kuroko paused in his motion, hand just inches away from Kagami’s sore side. “What?” he spoke, not quite sure if he heard the American teen correctly, his thoughts lingering on the slightly familiar sounding words. It sounded like he said _‘sixth man’_ , that much was clear. But the other words? He couldn’t have meant... 

“**You totally butchered it. It’s _‘Kiseki no Sedai’_.**” Kagami corrected.

“**That’s what I said! The Miracle Generation!**”

“**That’s not at all what you said!**”

“Kagami-kun.” Said boy turned his annoyed stare away from his American friend and turned it to his Japanese one. “Did he just say _‘Generation of Miracles’?_ ” Kuroko questioned.

“A-Ah...yeah…” Kagami trailed off, sounding a bit sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “I might’ve mentioned them a few times…”

“**I can’t believe one of them’s actually here!**” Dre exclaimed and proceeded to lean into Kuroko’s personal space as much as physically possible with a bus aisle and giant of a teen between the two. “**You have to come play streetball then, Kuroko! The rest of the guys will lose their freakin’ minds!**” he sighed exuberantly.

“**Ah. I...Yes…?**” Kuroko trailed off, unsure of what was happening, once again. It was frustrating. He’s not normally so flustered…

“**Idiot, he can’t understand you when you talk that fast!**” Kagami yelled back. They were now starting to get stares from annoyed commuters…”**And back the hell up! Japanese people like their space.**” he finished with a hard shove, causing Dre to fall back into his seat on the opposite side of the aisle. 

Dre seemed undeterred by the rough handling and laughed it off. “**Sorry, Kuroko. I just can’t believe I’m actually meeting on of those crazy guys. I’ve only been able to scrounge up a few clips of your matches, especially since I can’t read Japanese and Taiga’s an asshole and doesn’t translate and send us stuff, but from what I’ve seen of you guys, you’re amazing. I have so many questions I want to ask you…**” he trailed off, unsure of where to start.

Meanwhile, Kuroko was having a mild panic attack (on the inside, of course). “Um…” was all he managed. Honestly, what was wrong with himself lately? He’s usually much more composed than this....

“**Idiot, what’d I just say?!**” Kagami shouted at the American.

Before the other could retort, the bus came to a stop and Dre looked out the windows with a surprised look. “**Ah, that’s my stop. But definitely come to that streetball game we’re gonna organize. I’ll text all the guys and let them know you’re finally back in town! Your number’s still the same, right Taiga?**”

“**Ah, yeah, but…**”

“**Great, I’ll see you soon, then.**” he announced as he stood up from his seat and made his way to the doors located nearest to them. He halted in the doorway, earning another glare and angry shout from the bus driver, before turning to Kuroko. “**You too, Kuroko. It was awesome to meet you.**”

“**Nice to meet you too.**” Kuroko evenly responded before the American teen finally made his exit after one final shout from the enraged bus driver. 

As the bus pulled away and continued on it’s journey, Kagami leaned back in his seat and let out a breath. “Geez…”

“You told him about the Generation of Miracles?” Kuroko asked. 

Kagami turned his gaze back to Kuroko for a moment before glancing away again. “Yeah…” he answered, sounding a bit unsure of embarrassed, as if he were caught doing something taboo. “You’re not mad or anything, are you?”

“Why would I be mad?” Kuroko asked, genuinely confused.

“Just...it’s not really my story to tell? When I came back here last winter, everyone was curious about what I’ve been up to, why I was training so hard....the Generation of Miracles story just sorta slipped out…”

Kuroko glanced up at Kagami. “I’m not mad you shared information about the Generation of Miracles with your American friends, Kagami-kun.” he reassured. He casted his gaze away once more. “It’s not my story to tell either.”

“They’re your teammates. Were.” he refuted. “They’re your friends.” he amended, sounding a bit hesitant, as if he was afraid to insinuate something.

“That’s true.” Kuroko confirmed, a soft smile gracing his face. That wistful look and smile had been making an appearance on Kuroko’s face quite a few times since their victory at the Winter Cup. It was the smile he got when he thought about how nice it was to not have to question his friendship status with his old teammates. “But in any case, their story wasn’t a secret to begin with.”

“Well it wasn’t just their story I told them. I also told them about Seirin. And you.”

Kuroko looked back up at his teammate, once again looking perplexed. “What for?”

“What’dya mean, _‘what for’?_ ” Kagami mocked in a bad impression of Kuroko's deadpan, sounding a bit defensive. To match his tone, he crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow in scrutiny. “Seirin’s my team. You’re my partner. I’m allowed bragging rights.” he finished by glancing away again, seemingly self-conscious.

Kuroko stared at the other boy for a moment, confusion still evident on his face before it melted away into something softer, a small smile gracing his face. He turned in his seat and looked out the window to the cityscape passing by. “I see. Leave it to Kagami-kun to have selfish reasons.”

“H-Hey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, this is just me exploring some headcanons in regards to Kagami’s family. I didn’t mean for it to get this out of hand (lol). I’m pretty sure that Kagami’s parents are still together, but I thought it’d be fun to explore the idea that maybe they’re split up, even if that might be a bit taboo in traditional Japanese culture. I think his parents to still be good friends, they just probably didn’t work out as a couple, or maybe Kagami was a spur of the moment child that resulted in a hasty marriage? Idk, really (that sounds like a different story for a different day)!
> 
> It’s canon that Kagami’s family lives overseas in America, but in one episode Kagami said his father was suppose to be living with him, but had to return to America for work, hence why he’s currently living alone. He made no mention of his mother, so it got me curious as to why his father was supposed to be around and not his mom. 
> 
> Aspects in this story that are actually canon;  
> Kagami’s family is wealthy  
> Kagami’s family is still living in America  
> His father works for big American companies as a consultant  
> Kuroko lives with his father, mother, and grandmother 
> 
> From the research I’ve done, it takes around 6 hours to hike up to the top of Mt. Fuji, but about an hour to walk around the base. I figured the Kurokos would much rather do that, lol. Also from my research, Japanese vacations between school years last for only about a month (July 20th-August 31st). So imagine that being the timeframe of this story, before their second year of high school.
> 
> Names I picked out for these OCs of Kagami’s family:  
> Katsumi ( 勝美 ) “victorious beauty” (Kagami’s mom)  
> Hana ( 花 ) “flower” (Kagami’s half sister, Katsumi’s first daughter, Jim’s second daughter)  
> Jun ( 淳 ) “pure/genuine” (Kagami’s half brother, Katsumi’s second son, Jim’s first son)  
> James/Jim “one who follows” (Kagami’s stepfather, husband of Katsumi, father of Brianna, Hana, and Jun)  
> Brianna “high, nobel, strong” (Kagami’s stepsister, daughter of Jim, stepdaughter of Katsumi, half sister of Hana and Jun)  
> Drew “manly” (Kagami’s soon-to-be stepbrother-in-law, Brianna’s fiancé/soon-to-be husband)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this! Please let me know if I should continue this. This is also my first shippy fic, so please go easy on me, haha.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta-reader. All mistakes are my own.

For the remainder of the bus ride, the two friends sat in silence with Kuroko asking a question about something interesting they passed by every once in a while. One stop after another, Kuroko and Kagami remained seated as new passengers would come and go at every stop. Eventually, the greys and blues of the city slowly melted away into the greens of a more rural landscape. It was still crawling with people but was obviously a less frequented area than the spots near the airport. At what looked to be the town center, the bus came to a halt once again and Kagami signaled that their stop had finally come. The two boys grabbed their bags from the overhead and exited onto the sidewalk below. Kagami made sure that Kuroko stuck close by and didn’t get lost in the rush of people coming and going before they hurried onto the sidewalk. It was only after they left the safety of the bus’s air conditioning and had walked a good block or two away from the crowd and came to a stop at what looked to be a park did they remember the brutality of mid-day Californian summer sun.

“Oh God, how could I forget how awful this was?” Kagami asked rhetorically, pulling at the neck of his t-shirt before giving up on the endeavor. He allowed for all his bags to drop to the pavement in a heap before he quickly shed his light windbreaker, slinging it over his shoulder once removed. “It’s hot enough here in winter and fall but the summer? I might die.”

Kuroko meanwhile looked around in muted awe at the rows of shopfronts and cafes, children playing in the shade of a jungle gym, and pedestrians enjoying the clear day. 

“It’s a few blocks away so we’ll have to walk a bit more.” Kagami warned, after he’d once again regained his bearings.

“That’s alright.” Kuroko assured as he unzipped his own light jacket, feeling the heat. “This way I get to see some of the sites.” he reasoned as he carefully removed his shoulder bag and placed it on top of the one suitcase he brought along. He then removed his own jacket and neatly draped it over his arm.

“It’s not much, but whatever. Just convenience stores and small shops and restaurants. It’s got it’s charm though, I guess.”

“It’s very interesting. It’s similar to Japan, but different in a lot of ways.”

“Huh? I mean, I guess.” Kagami shrugged as he started walking once again. Kuroko followed.

As they walked, the scenery changed into one better known as the picturesque image of suburbia, with large houses, green lawns, and meticulously kept hedges and gardens. Kuroko couldn’t help but think he was seeing all the cliched images he’d read of in books and seen in movies. Children playing in the streets with balls, riding on bikes and scooters. A women weeding her garden. A man washing his car….It was quite funny, really. But as he looked at the large, freshly painted and well-groomed lawns, Kuroko couldn’t help a thought from popping into mind. “I’ve always had the inkling, but now I believe it’s been confirmed.” he started before turning his eyes away from the large homes up to his friend, who had in turn casted his gaze over to his friend as well. “Kagami-kun’s family is quite wealthy, aren’t they?”

“Um, yeah, they’re pretty well off. On both sides.” he supplied as he walked along leisurely. His expression wasn’t one of boredom as a stranger would have assumed at first glance, but one of fond, comfortable familiarity. “Dad’s a consultant and Jim’s a dentist. Mom took an early retirement when the twins were born but she used to manage a big corporate chain of clothing stores back in the day.”

“Ah. So Kagami-kun is secured on both ends of the family tree?”

“I guess.” he sighed and seemed to have wanted to end the conversation there, but something else crossed his mind. A dark thought that allowed for dread to grow in the pit of his stomach. “....please don’t tell Coach. You guys already crash my place enough, as is....”

“No promises.” the bluenette replied, quite cheekily, if you asked Kagami...

“ _Ugh._ ” Kagami groaned. “Whatever.”

“Is this where Kagami-kun grew up?” Kuroko asked.

“What? My Mom’s place? Same neighborhood, different house.” he informed. “They moved to a bigger house before the twins were born. Ah, we’re here.” the redhead announced as he looked up at something. Kuroko followed his gaze.

And big it was. It wasn’t anything outrageous like a mansion you’d see in those American TV shows but it was by far larger than the average Japanese family’s home, Kuroko’s included. Like all the other houses in the neighborhood it was freshly painted, had a very nice lawn and front garden, and a nice looking yet practical family car in the driveway. 

As Kuroko was busy quietly assessing and observing the home, Kagami took out his cell phone from his pocket and checked his most recent texts. “Judging by the driveway though Jim isn’t here and Mom said something about the kids being at day camp right now. She should be home though. We can just walk inside.” he informed as he made his way up the three steps leading to the door. As he turned the doorknob, luckily it was unlocked, he felt that familiar feeling one often feels when teammates with a figurative Shadow of a person; Kuroko wasn’t there. He turned around to see the other boy still standing where Kagami left him at the beginning of the path, staring off at something that Kagami wasn’t sure of. “What is it?” he called over to the other boy.

Kuroko seemed to have been in some kind of mild trance as his eyes hesitated for a millisecond before focusing on Kagami. “It’s nothing.” the slighter teen simply responded before he slowly made his way down the path, the wheels of his suitcase too noisy against the concrete. He joined Kagami at the steps.

Kagami eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure? ‘Cause you’ve been—” he started to say before the front door swinging open nearly knocked him off the porch and into Kuroko.

“Taiga!” loudly called a woman from behind the now open door, beamingly widely at the boy in front of her.

“Ma!” Kagami answered back with a grin equally as radiantly before he was engulfed in a steely-gripped hug. 

“Oh my sweet boy, it’s been too long!” the woman sighed loudly as she embraced her son. So this had to be Kagami’s mother.

The resemblance was there, Kuroko couldn’t help but note. Her skin was a tan uncommon amongst Japanese people, almost golden. That wasn’t the only thing unusual about her appearance however, as she was far taller than the average Japanese woman. Not quite as tall as her staggering son, but the top of her head just reached Kagami’s lower lip, which was regrettably more than Kuroko could claim he himself reached....Her hair also matched that of her son’s unusually red hair, however her’s was more auburn and fair compared to her son’s. However Kuroko noticed that the feature that seemed to be the most reminiscent of Kagami didn’t have anything to do with her physical appearance, but her mannerisms. Her smile was bright and wide and her tone of voice loud and self-assured. She had a presence that was dominating yet warm and welcoming, just like her son.

The woman, who Kuroko couldn’t help but notice was quite young-looking, pulled away from her son but remained in contact with him, holding him at arm's length. Suddenly, she frowned and then slapped Kagami upside the head.

“Ow!” he cried out, going to rub the sore spot before his mother beat him to it, matting down the hair she herself had displaced in the process.

“You never call me enough! A mother shouldn’t have to wait months to hear her own son’s voice.” she admonished, yet still continuing in her fretting, patting down her son’s clothes and removing it of any unseen imperfections that only a mother could find.

“There’s a time difference so it’s never convenient to call. Besides you call and text me enough...” he replied, albeit at a lower volume.

This didn’t seem to go unnoticed by his mother however as she grimaced and let out a displeased hum. “Sorry to be inconvenient.”

“Ah, Ma, y’know I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.”

Kagami’s mother shook her head and gave a fond smile. “I know, I know.” she quickly eased, once again fondly stroking her hands through her son’s messy hair. They were quite touchy, Kuroko noticed. To be expected from mother and son, but the looks on both their faces as they regarded each other were something else. At least something he hasn’t seen from his own family. Not to say that his parents didn’t love him, no. They did very much, but as he grew older Kuroko realised he got his emotional and physically reserved nature from his parents. Kagami and his mother however, well they were what you’d expect of sentimental Americans, weren’t they? 

“You’ve had a long flight, so you must be cranky.” Kagami’s mother teased before a look of realization came across her face. “Oh! Wait. Taiga, you said you were bringing your friend! Where’s Kuroko-kun?” she questioned frantically, looking around in alarm, unable to see the smaller teen standing besides her son.

“Good morning.” said boy answered while giving a deep bow, startling the woman as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “I’m Kuroko Tetsuya. It’s an honor to meet Kagami-kun’s Okaa-sama. Please take good care of me.”

“So formal…” Kagami comment dryly.

“So _polite!_ ” Katsumi exclaimed before placing a hand over her heart. A large grin stretched her face from ear to ear, her eyes crinkled at the corners in pure delight. “Of course! Tetsuya-kun, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” she all but squealed before enveloping the teen in one of the fiercest hugs he’s ever received (and that even includes Momoi-san). The woman pulled away from him, but kept him at arm’s length and seemed to study the boy. “Oh, you’re just like Taiga described. And take no offense to this Tetsuya-kun, but the camera doesn’t treat you very well. You look so much handsomer in person. In fact, it’s hard to notice you in photos at all.”

Kuroko felt his cheeks heat up slightly at the compliment, but kept his expression ever stoic and gave a polite nod. “I get that a lot. However, thank you very much for the compliment.”

“Of course~!” the woman sing-songed, practically fawning over the boy. 

“ _Mom_ ” Kagami all but grunted, giving his mother a look. 

“Oh, I know. Your old lady is _so embarrassing._ ” she dismissed in her impression of a put-out teen. “Well, come in, come in! You boys must be melting out in this heat.” she commented as she held the door open for the two teens. They followed her inside.

“Pardon the intrusion.*” Kuroko called quietly, nearly sighing in relief when he finally felt the cool air of the AC meet his overheated skin. Kagami did in fact groan his approval.

“You boys can leave your jackets on the rack right there and take your shoes off here.” she instructed, point to said locations. “Taiga, Hana wanted to see if house slippers made good boats - which they do not - so I had to get you some new ones. There are some for you too, Tetsuya-kun. I had Taiga send me your size.” she smiled as she presented Kuroko with a box, the lid removed to reveal the simple yet nice looking slippers inside. 

Kuroko was a little surprised. That’s quite a kind gift. His own slippers? Most families just keep spare pairs around for guests, his own included (not that they had many visitors). Wasn’t getting someone their own pair of house slippers a way of saying ‘ _Please come around more’_? Or was he overthinking this too much? Of course he is. He’s being foolish. They’re just slippers...but then why did his heart feel a bit lighter as Katsumi handed him the box, an expectant and pleased expression on her face? “Thank you very much.” he thanked as he accepted the box with a grateful bow.

“Of course!” Katsumi responded, expression becoming even more pleased, if possible. 

“Why _my_ shoes?!” Kagami asked, apparently still a little hung up on the fact that his little sister thought his slippers sea-worthy, completely unaware of Kuroko’s hectic thoughts behind the gesture.

“Brianna is out with Drew’s family right now and Jim just went to pick up the kids from camp.” Katsumi informed, ignoring her son’s lament. “They should be back any minute now so why don’t you boys go up to your room? You’ll be sharing a room with Taiga, Tetsuya-kun. I hope that’s alright?”

“That’s perfectly fine. Thank you very much for housing me during my stay and for inviting me in the first place. It’s very kind of Kagami-kun’s family to invite me to such a special occasion, despite having never even met me. You’re very kind.” Kuroko finished, bowing yet again to show how grateful he was. When he stood back up straight again and met Katsumi’s eyes, they seemed to be almost glittering as she smiled broadly at him. Kuroko wasn’t quite sure what to do, so he politely reminded silent.

Kagami looked between the two with clear confusion. He eventually gave up on trying to figure out what they were staring at each other for, Kuroko politely meeting Katsumi’s gaze with an even stare of his own and the woman looked strangely...satisfied. Whatever, he’d worried about his mother’s strange looks later. 

“Okay, then. We’re going to our room now.” Kagami announced as he grabbed Kuroko’s arm and started towards the stairs. 

“Hm?” his mother hummed. “Oh, yes, yes. Of course!” she smiled, seeming to have broken out of her trance. “I’ll let you know when Jim and the kids return.”

“Sounds good.” Kagami agreed and he climbed the steps up to the second floor.

“And Tetsuya-kun?” Katsumi called out, causing Kuroko to stop in his ascent.

As Kagami continued to climb, Kuroko turned to the woman below him and responded, “Yes?”

The woman’s eyes crinkled up again as she grinned at him once again, this smile more soft than her other’s previous. “It is very nice to finally meet you. I’m so glad you decided to celebrate with us.”

Kuroko swallowed around a strange lump in his throat that formed at the woman’s words. He wasn’t sure why he felt so happy hearing Katsumi say such a thing to him, but he was undeniably grateful that their first meeting went so well. “Me too.” he answered honestly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * “Pardon the intrusion.” here would be “ _Ojama shimasu._ ” which is a common Japanese phrase used when you enter someone else’s room or home. It’s like saying “Thanks for having me over and sorry if I disturb you”. It’s a little difficult to convey Kuroko’s uber-politeness in English, but I will try my best.
> 
> Also I hope you enjoy my interpretation of Kagami’s mother. I’m open to any suggestions you have regarding her character and what you might think her stares mean… ;)
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long to come out but I hope you enjoy it! Can’t say when I’ll post the next one, but comments are definitely inspirational and motivating, so hounding me is probably the best way to get me to post lol. I'm glad that you're all enjoying the story so far!


End file.
